[/floatr]Yomiuri: Nakayama 'to resign' over series of gaffes
Construction and Transport Minister Nariaki Nakayama intends to resign from his post to take responsibility for a series of verbal gaffes he has made since his appointment last week, sources said Saturday. He likely will submit his resignation to Prime Minister Taro Aso on Sunday and Aso is likely to accept it, the sources said...At meeting on Saturday in Miyazaki -- Nakayama's constituency -- organized by the prefectural chapter of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the 65-year-old minister apologized for two remarks he made Thursday -- one describing those who have engaged in decades of struggle against the construction and expansion of Narita Airport as "more or less squeaky wheels," and another in which said that Japan is "ethnically homogeneous." "My remarks lacked context," he said. "I'm sorry for any offense I caused." But at the same meeting, he said he did not intend to retract another controversial remark made Thursday about the Japan Teachers' Union (Nikkyoso) in which he claimed that "in areas where Nikkyoso's influence is strong, children's academic ability is low," and that Nikkyoso "should be disbanded." After the meeting, Nakayama told reporters, "Nikkyoso is a cancer on the nation's education." He also said of his ministerial post: "If my remarks influence Diet deliberations, I don't plan to cling to my post. I want to see what happens"...more...
